Last week visited a school in Louisiana- St. Charles Satellite Center. It is a school not unlike CAS with smaller class sizes, project based learning, and a flexible environment. Although I get to see the progress my students make every day it was great to see a similar learning environment where students use critical thinking and problem solving skills throughout class. Talking with those students also made me remember why I love doing what I do. I felt like I lost site of that (at least slightly) during the rush of the new semester and starting my dissertation but after the school visit I am reengergized and back on track. Once I returned I had an open discussion with my students about the recent quality of their work and how I wanted them to take even more ownership.
My students are working on finishing up a major game build and I love walking around the room and hearing the conversations they are having; it really engergizes me (well that and coffee). Fixing issues together, researching coding errors, and learning how to do test cases. It is amazing what they can accomplish with nothing more than facilitation.
We hinder students when we give them the answers up front. We sell learners short when we hand them step by step instructions instead of allowing them to discover a process on their own. It is important to have facilitators to help guide but I hope that is all I am, a guide and not someone who feels the need to control every little thing.
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